Lilac in the Dark
by Aviantei
Summary: [One Shot] The night was cold, with only pinpricks of stars in the dark sky and the scent of leaves and dirt around her, and the girl knew she was lost. [OC] [Twelve Shots of Summer: Go/五]


**Lilac in the Dark**

By: Aviantei

[Twelve Shots of Summer: Go/五 1/12]

A _Pokémon_ One Shot

* * *

She blinks her eyes open, and it takes several seconds before the girl recognizes that the world isn't as dark as she thinks it is. Yes, there is hardly any light, and shadows seep in every corner. But the night sky is a shade of black that isn't quite as all-consuming as the world on the ground, and the stars cast pinpricks of white through space. The ground is hard beneath her, and thin blades of grass tickle Nochi's skin before she sits up. The more her vision adjusts to the dark, she recognizes she shapes of trees around her and realizes she has no idea where she is.

 _Lost._

Her mind races to figure out how she got here, but it's like her thoughts collide with a wall every time she tries to think back. She can't remember much of anything really, and her name is the only clear piece of information that's coming to her.

 _It's cold._

She shivers and hugs herself, rubbing hands against her forearms for warmth. It's not cold enough to be winter, but the night has sucked away the warmth of the daytime. On shaking legs, Nochi stands. When she looks around, all she sees are trees, and the night has sucked away most of the color from the world, leaving everything in darkened shades.

 _Where am I?_

She looks around again, her short hair bouncing as her movements become more and more frantic. The area around her seems to be a clearing, but trees surround her on all sides. The scent of dew flits among the aromas of dirt and plant life already feeling the air. After spinning in a near circle, Nochi catches sight of something cresting above the trees—a thick white building that towers toward the sky and cuts out a path of shadowed white against the star filled sky.

 _Wasn't that place called…_ Nochi frowns trying to get her thoughts to cooperate, but it's hard when her head feels so heavy. She squints through the darkness at the building, its surface broken up by the occasional black square of a window. "…Celestial Tower."

The name feels heavy in her mouth, but also comforting. She doesn't remember much else, but she knows that place. Something about it feels safe. She wants to go there, but the woods are in the way, each tree's trunk clustered together in dusk and gloom.

 _I'm scared._

She's still trembling as she steps forward, but Nochi wanders into the trees anyway, recognizing just how small she is against their tall shapes. Once the canopy of leaves blots out the view of overhead, it's impossible to tell which way Celestial Tower is, but she faces forward and puts one foot in front of the other. An occasional rustle comes from farther away in the trees, some nocturnal pokémon flitting about. When a small, fast shape darts across the way in front of her, Nochi shrieks and jumps back, scratching her elbow on a nearby tree trunk.

 _Don't give up. You're not doing anything wrong. The pokémon aren't going to hurt you._

She takes a few shuddering breaths and keeps trudging forward, a hand over her now stinging elbow. The trees seem a bit thinner, but she could just be imagining it. There's still no sign of the other end of the forest, and each step over a gnarled tree root or around a thick cluster of grass seems as hopeless as the last. The stress is more exhausting than the walking itself, but she's getting more worn out by the second, and it's a fight to keep her eyes open.

Through her blurring vision, a faint purple glow lights up in her path, a faint halation over the top of some fallen tree branches. Nochi hesitates, moves a bit closer, and then tips over towards the ground. She breaks the fall with her hands, but her face still presses into the earth, almost filling her nose with soil.

"LIiiit _._ "

The soft call seeps through the air. It's a struggle, but Nochi lifts her head, dirt still sticking to her cheeks. The faint purple glow has drawn closer, wavering out from a flame of the same color, atop the form of a small white pokémon. It's shaped like a candle, with a pair of yellow eyes. As it hops closer, the flame on its head burns brighter, and Nochi's eyelids get heavier by the second, but she doesn't look away. The Litwick hops closer, then their small mouth drops open as they stare at the girl before them.

"Lit?"

"Hey, there…" Nochi almost needs to croak for the words to come out, but they still make it into the air. In her empty memory, there's a trace of a story, about how the little candle before her can seep the lifeforce away from those nearby. The already bubbling fear inside threatens to become paralyzing, but Nochi smiles at the Litwick. "Don't you live in the Tower? Are you lost, too?"

The Litwick stares, their flame no longer burning as bright, becoming a faint flicker against the dark. But their eyes are still bright, though Nochi doesn't feel as concerned as she should. "Wick-litwick. Wiiick." They hop a few paces closer, landing right before Nochi's face, and she holds eye contact best she can. Litwick raises a small hand to its mouth. "Litwick?"

And Nochi can't help but feeling like the little pokémon is asking if they know each other.

She opens her mouth, but the words don't come out. Turns out she doesn't have to, because the exhaustion pressing against her limbs fades. The Litwick's once thriving flame has died down to little more than a flicker. Nochi finds she had the strength to sit, and when she does, she reaches out a hand. The Litwick inches closer, then nuzzles its forehead into her palm, the wax holding solid against her skin. The flickering fire doesn't feel hot, but instead warm against the rest of the chilled warm.

Nochi pulls the Litwick into her lap, and there's no protest. She presses both her hands against the pokémon's body, the purple glow tinting her pale skin. Girl and Litwick stare at each other, trying to figure out just why the other's presence feels so safe, so right.

 _This is what you would call a partner or fate, right?_ asks a voice in Nochi's mind that doesn't sound very much like her own. But before she can place it, the memory has faded, and there's still nothing left for her but the forest dampened by darkness, save for the tiny lilac light atop the Litwick's head.

"Flicker," she says without much consideration. But the Litwick hops in her lap, their small mouth forming into a smile that Nochi can't help but mirror. "I'm Nochi. Would you mind…staying with me?"

"Litwick, lit-lit!" The Litwick, now dubbed Flicker, jumps up to press their forehead against Nochi's, leaving a waxy sensation clinging to her hair. And then Flicker bounds forward through the trees, but not far enough that Nochi can't see their glow. "Liiiiit."

Nochi stands and dusts herself the best she can. And without any other worry, she steps forward and follows Flicker through the forest.

* * *

 **[Author's Notes]**

Is it that time of year again? Why, yes, it is! The latest round of [Twelve Shots of Summer] has officially begun! This year, we at Sauce Project bring you **[Twelve Shots of Summer: Go/五]** , the fifth year of the twelve week long summer one shot writing challenge. Phew!

This here is my Week One entry for the prompts "First Partner" and "Local Colors"! I decided that I'd own up to the _Pokémon_ theme and do a mini piece with one of my _Pokémon_ OC pairs, Nochi and Flicker. Since Flicker is Nochi's first (and possibly only) Pokémon, I'd say the main prompt was pretty obvious. As for "Local Colors," I did a bit more abstract and did some more work with incorporating colors into my descriptions.

Sheesh, another OC that I haven't gone ahead and done any of her main story yet, how about that...

In any event, as this is the first shot of [T-Sauce] for me, I'll be doing eleven more-and then some as I attempt to write all the prompts I missed from the first two seasons. Plus regular weekly updates. (Why did I think this was a good idea?) My entries will be a mix of fan and original fiction-including "Feeling Infinite," which is also live from fictionpress today!

Whether you go poke at my original fiction, stick around for my fan endeavors, go check out the [Twelve Shots of Summer] forum, or even just stop here my message is the same: Thanks for reading!

-Aviantei

[05.28.2018]


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